What if Walt Disney was the producer of Looney Tunes/Walt Disney Animated Classics/Song of the South
Song of the South is a 1942 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is based on the collection of Uncle Remus stories as adapted by Joel Chandler Harris. The film takes place in the southern United States during the American Civil War, in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals. The story follows 7-year-old mouse Johnny (voiced by Bobby Driscoll) who is visiting his grandmother's plantation for an extended stay while his father joins the war. Johnny befriends a rabbit named Br'er Rabbit (Johnny Lee), one of the workers on the plantation, and a little cat named Ginny (Shirley Temple) who tearch him how living on the plantation while outsmarting a fox (James Baskett, who also narrates the film) who tries to eat them. Walt Disney had wanted to produce a film based on the Uncle Remus stories for some time. It was not until 1939 that he began negotiating with the Harris family for film rights, and later in 1940, production for Song of the South finally began. Song of the South premiered in Atlanta in September 1942 and the remainder of its initial theater run was a financial success. The song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the 1943 Academy Award for Best Original Song and Baskett received an Honorary Academy Award for his performance as the villainous Br'er Fox. While the film was critically panned on its initial release, it has since been regarded as one of Disney's greatest animated classics, notably one of the biggest cult classics in the animation medium. Plot Seven-year-old Johnny is excited about what he believes to be a vacation at his grandmother's Georgia plantation with his parents, John Sr. and Sally. When they arrive at the plantation, he discovers that he is to live at the plantation with his mother and grandmother while his father returns to Atlanta due to volunteering to fight as a officer in the Civil War. Johnny, distraught because of his father's departure, secretly sets off that night for Atlanta with only a bindle. As Johnny sneaks away from the plantation, he is attracted by the voice of Br'er Rabbit, who was telling his travels to most cubs. By this time, word had gotten out that Johnny was missing, and some plantation residents are looking for him. Johnny evades being discovered, but Br'er Rabbit catches up with him. They befriend each other and Br'er Rabbit offers him some food for his journey, taking him back to his cabin. After Br'er Rabbit saves him from Br'er Fox, a vicious bandit who tries to catch animals to eat them, Johnny changes his mind about leaving the plantation, letting Br'er Rabbit take him back to his mother. Johnny makes friends with Toby, a young mouse who lives on the plantation, and Ginny Favers, a poor white kitten. Ginny gives Johnny a puppy after her two older brothers, Joe and Jake, threaten to drown it. Johnny's mother refuses to let him take care of the puppy, so he takes the dog to Br'er Rabbit. Uncle Remus takes the dog in. Br'er Fox kidnaps Johnny, but he escapes when Br'er Rabbit tricks him into letting him carrying to a "laughing place". After escaping, Johnny heeds a advice than Br'er Rabbit gave him and begs the Favers Brothers not to tell their mother about the dog. The reverse psychology works, and the boys go to speak with their mother. After being spanked, they realize that Johnny had fooled them. In an act of revenge, they tell Sally about the dog. She becomes upset that Johnny and Br'er Rabbit kept the dog despite her order (which was unknown to Br'er Rabbit). She instructs Br'er Rabbit not to tell any more advices to her son. Johnny's birthday arrives and Johnny picks up Ginny to take her to his party. On the way there, Joe and Jake push Ginny into a mud puddle. With her dress ruined, Ginny is unable to go to the party and runs off crying. Johnny begins fighting with the boys, but their fight is broken up by Br'er Rabbit, who is then caught by Br'er Fox, who joined forces with them. Johnny runs off to comfort Ginny, but realize what happened. When Br'er Fox, Joe and Jake were about to cook Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Rabbit tricks the three into hrow it to a bunch of thickets, reuniting with Johnny and Ginny, while they are chased by Br'er Fox, Joe and Jake, but the three are stopped by Br'er Rabbit's friends Br'er Bear and Br'er Frog, who reported Br'er Fox, Joe and Jake with both the police and Ginny's mother. Br'er Fox, Joe and Jake are arrested by the police for their crimes. When Br'er Rabbit, Johnny and Ginny return to the plantation, Sally becomes angry at Johnny for missing his own birthday party, and tells Br'er Rabbit not to spend any more time with him. Saddened by the misunderstanding of his good intentions, Br'er Rabbit packs his bags and leaves for Atlanta. Johnny rushes to intercept him, but is attacked by a bull and seriously injured after taking a shortcut through a pasture. While Johnny hovers between life and death, his father returns from the war. Johnny calls for Br'er Rabbit, who is then escorted in by his grandmother. Br'er Rabbit begins telling about his adventures with Johnny, and the boy miraculously survives. Johnny, Ginny, and Toby are next seen skipping along and singing while Johnny's returned puppy runs alongside them. Br'er Rabbit is also in the vicinity and rushes to join the group, and they all skip away singing. Voice cast Production Background Casting Animation Music Release Home media Reception Trivia